Hydraulic vibrating forging hammers and presses



Dec. 17, 1968 E. H. FISHER 3,415,354

HYDRAULIC VIBRATING FORGING HAMMERS AND PRESSES Filed Sept. 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVENTOR 38 .H. FISHER Arromvays United States Patent 3,416,354 HYDRAULIC VIBRATING FORGING HAMh [ERS AND PRESSES Earl H. Fisher, 630 Casgrain Ave., St. Lambert, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Sept. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 580,966 Claims. (Cl. 72453) This invention relates to hammer arrangements for use in forging hammers and presses which make use of high speed hammer or vibratory effects on the metal to be forged or pressed.

In presently known forging and pressing devices whether diesel, steam or air operated, the pressing devices lacked the hammering eflect which is necessary to produce a high quality forging; forging hammers lacked a pressure arrangement and, therefore, neither arrangement could provide the optimum speed and quality of manufacture; the lack of speed of manufacture required that more heat be applied for a hot type of forging than is necessary, or the size of metal that could be forged was limited with respect to the size of the individual forging hammer or press used.

The present invention applied to forging or pressing hammers overcomes the above limitations in that the hydraulic forging and pressing hammer of this invention is light in weight for the impact that can be produced, as hydraulic pressure can be high, say 4,000 lbs. per square inch or more, as compared to the common present day practice of using 100 lbs. per square inch for steam and air driven hammers; the hydraulic hammer can provide a greater impact because of its higher operating pressures; the particular hydraulic valving arrangement provides a rapid frequency of impact; the hydraulic hammer starts instantly because it is hydraulically reciprocated with oil force from a prime mover pump and will combine both pressure and hammer effect to the forging whereby forgings of high quality can be manufactured at high speed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior forging because of the combination of pressure and hammer effect of the forging arrangement that can also impart a rapid vibratory type of impact to both the pressure and/or hammer arrangement portion of the forging arrangement as required.

A further object of the invention is to speed up the forging process by the combination of hydraulic pressure and hydraulic hammer means thereby reducing the overall cost of the manufacture of forgings.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination hydraulic forging hammer and pressure arrangement that will provide for both the hammer and pressure arrangements a rapid reciprocating action of forceful impact and which can be varied in frequency of reciprocation and thrust of impact.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the amount of heat required for a forging because of its speed of manufacture and because a combination of press and blow will work larger pieces of metal or other materials that is colder than that required in the past.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed specification and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of one form of a forging and pressing hammer according to the present invention, taken on the line 11 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

3,416,354 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 of the cylinder-anvil arrangement.

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the two halves of the die in pressure contact with the valving mechanism actuated for an upward stroke of the cylinder-anvil arrangement and having reached its maximum upward stroke.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the cylinder-anvil in its maximum downward stroke.

FIG. 9 is a vertical section similar to FIG. 2 but show.- ing a modified form of the arrangement shown in FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the forging and pressing hammer assembly 5 is mounted in the frame 6 which is open on three vertical sides to provide ample working space about the hammer.

The hammer assembly 5 includes a double acting cylinder 7 within which is a piston 8 having a double end piston rod 9 attached thereto.

The lower end of the piston rod 9 is provided with an anvil 10. An anvil 11 concentric with the piston rod 9 is attached to the lower end of the cylinder 7.

The cylinder 7 is divided into two separate chambers 12 and 13, each of the chambers 12 and 13 has an inlet port 14 and an exhaust port 15 cut in the wall of the cylinder 7 diametrically opposite each other at a location approximately midway of the length of the chambers 12 and 13.

A pair of valve sleeves 16 and 17 are mounted for rotation in metal to metal contact with suitable sealing arrangement of well known design on the outer surface of the cylinder 7. The sleeve 16 has a port 18 and the sleeve 17 has a port 18 set from each other. The sleeves 16 and 17 are aligned on the cylinder 7 so that their ports register with the ports 14 and 15 in their respective chambers 12 and 13 when the sleeves are rotated with an oscillating or rotary movement through 180. 2

The pair of sleeves are synchronously driven from a drive indicated diagrammatically at 20 with the pair of sleeves being set 180 out of phase with each other as will be seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

A unitary casting 21 is supported for vertical reciprocation by the bracket 22 sliding on the guides 22a on the frame 6. The casting 21 has an upper member 23 and a lower member 24, both of which are bored vertically to respectively encompass, in metal to metal contact with seal arrangement of well known design, the valve sleeves 16 and 17. The unitary casting 21 also includes a fluid inlet header 25- and a fluid exhaust header 26. An upper inlet passageway 27 and an exhaust passageway 28 connect the respective headers 25 and 26 wit'h the upper bracket member 23, and a lower inlet passageway 29 and an exhaust passageway 30 connect the respective headers 25 and 26 with the lower bracket member 24.

The fluid inlet passages 27 and 29 connect withvthe chambers 12 and 13 respectively when the valve sleeves 16 and 17 are rotated to bring into register one of their ports 18-19, with the inlet ports 14. Similarly, the fluid exhaust passages 28 and 30 connect with the chambers 12 and 13 respectively when the valve sleeves 16 and 17 are rotated to bring into register one of their ports 18-19 with the exhaust ports 15.

An accumulator 31 is mounted on the under surface of the top member 6a of the frame 6 and is aligned axially above the inlet header 21. A fluid inlet pipe 32 leads to the bottom area of the accumulator under the floating piston 33. The upper portion of the accumulator above the piston 33 may be charged with nitrogen. A down pipe 34 leads from the lower part of the accumulator 31 to the interior of the header 25. The lower end of this down pipe 34 is open and it has a side aperture 35 facing the adjacent open end of the passage 27. The length of the aperture 35 must be of such lengtli that it will always line-up with passage 27 to allow for the passage of fluid.

A guide rod 36 projecting upwards from the upper surface of the lower member 6b of the frame 6 is axially aligned with and projects into the header 25.

A guide rod 37 projects downwards from the top member 61: of the frame 6 and is aligned axially with the exhaust header 26.

An exhaust down pipe 38 has its lower end connected with the exhaust box 39 mounted on the bottom member 6b of the frame 6. The down pipe 38 is axially aligned with and projects upwardly into the exhaust header 26. The upper end of the pipe 38 is open and it has a side aperture 40 facing the adjacent open end of the passage 30 and be of such length as always line-up with passage 30. An outlet pipe 41 heads the exhaust fluid from the box 39 for recirculation in a closed circuit.

A double acting hydraulic cylinder 42 is secured on the under side of the top member 6a of the frame and its piston 43 is secured to the top end of the piston rod 9. An accumulator 44 is mounted above the cylinder 42 and the lower portion of the accumulator below its floating piston 45 is in open communication with the cylinder 42 above the piston 43. A hydraulic fluid inlet line 46 and an exhaust line 47 lead to and from the cylinder 42.

A two part die consists of an upper half die 48 and a lower half die 49. The upper half die 48 is secured to the anvil in the lower end of the piston rod 9, while the lower half die 49 is secured to the upper surface of the member 6b of the frame 6.

In the operation of the above described hammer, if hydraulic fluid is applied through the inlet 46 to the top portion of the cylinder 42, piston 43 will be forced downwards. If line 46 is closed and line 47 opened piston 43 will be pushed upwards against the restraining pressure of the nitrogen in accumulator 44. If line 47 is suddenly opened to exhaust the piston 42 and piston rod 9 will move downwards with a sudden forceful movement and the metal or other material between the two halvesof the die 48 and 49 will impact the material between them. Intake valve 46 will now open and increased pressure can be applied as required, thereby providing a substantial impact and subsequent sustaining pressure to'the metal or material between the two halves of the die. It can also be seen that piston 43 could be reciprocated up and down in a more or less conventional manner by manipulating the fluid lines 46 and 47 for intake and exhaust of fluid as required. The accumulator 44 would aid in speeding up the downward stroke of piston 43 and rod 9. If, at the same time, the valving arrangement is brought into operation, a combination pressing and hammering effect will be applied at the die 4849. The operation of the valving arrangement is as follows. When the valve sleeve 16 is in the position'shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the chamber 12 of the cylinder is closed to inlet fluid and is open to exhaust while, when the valve sleeve 17 is in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the chamber 13 is open to receive hydraulic fluid from the inlet 32 through the down pipe 34 from the accumulator 31 into the header 25 and through the passage 29 into the chamber 13. Pressure hydraulic fluid in the chamber 13 will exert an upwards pressure on the piston 8 against the downwards pressure on the piston 43 in the cylinder 42. Therefore cylinder 7 and anvil 11 will move downwards.

As the valve sleeves 16 and 17 are synchronously rotated through 180 with an oscillating movement out of phase with each other by the drive 20, a rapid reversal of the valve sleeves will take place whereby the flow of pressure fluid to the chamber 13 is cut off and the flow of pressure fiuid is diverted from the header 25 through the passage 27 into the chamber 12 to exert a downwards pressure on the piston 8 against a downward pressure on piston 43. Therefore cylinder 7 and anvil 11 will be moved upwards. The accumulators 31 and 44, which may be charged with nitrogen besides providing for a rapid downward movement of piston rod 9 and a rapid upward and downward movement of cylinder 7 as well as taking up any fluid shock of these reciprocating arrangements will maintain an inlet pressure of hydraulic fluid at all times in the header 25 regardless of the vertical positions of the pistons 8 and 43.

As the pressure above the piston 43, assisted by the accumulator 44, forces the piston rod 9 down to bring the die half 48 into contact with the die half 49, the piston rod 9 thereafter will be held stationary to exert a pressing action on the metal being forged between the die halves. When the valving arrangement is brought into play to provide a hammering effect, the fast reversal of the application of fluid pressure above and below the piston 8 will effect an oscillation of the valving arrangement including the unitary casting 21 and the cylinder 7 will take place with the anvil 11 striking the anvil 10. There is, therefore, both a pressure effect and a hammering effect on the metal or other material between the die halves 48 and 49.

Suitable seals 50 are provided on the cylinder 7, headers 25 and 26 and cylinder 42 to prevent leakage of high pressure fluid.

Inlet and exhaust valves, not shown, are provided where necessary to control the flow of fluid to the inlets 32 and 46 in well known manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 to 8 inclusive, this arrangement shown is basically the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 except that the piston rod 9 is replaced to a hollow piston rod 51 having an upper piston 52 arranged for reciprocation in the cylinder 42. A lower piston 53 attached to the piston rod 51 is arranged to reciprocate within the cylinder 54. The cylinder 54 is mounted on the bracket 55 which, in turn, is mounted for vertical reciprocation in the guides 22a.

The hollow piston rod 51 has an upper compartment 56, and a lower compartment 57, the latter being located below the level of the piston 53. A central passage 58 connects the upper and lower chambers 56 and 57 and an annular passage 59 closed to the chambers 56 and 57 surrounds the central passage 58.

An inlet port 60 in the wall of the upper compartment 56 is aligned with the inlet passage 27 while an inlet port 61 in the outer wall of the annular passage 59 is aligned with the inlet passage 29. Similarly, an exhaust port 62 in the wall of the upper compartment 56 is aligned with the exhaust passage 28 while an exhaust port 63 in the outer wall of the annular passage 59 is aligned with the exhaust passage 30. *Lower ports 64 in the outer wall of the annular passage 59 connect with the upper portion of the cylinder 54 above the piston 53 while the ports 65 in the wall of the lower chamber 57 connect with the lower portion of the cylinder 54 below the piston 53.

As stated above the device illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8 inclusive is basically the same as the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the operation is as follows. Fluid pressure in the cylinder 42 forces the piston 52 downwards to effect downwards movement of the piston rod 51 and closing of the half dies 48-49 in the manner shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. If, at the same time, the valving arrangement is brought into operation a combination pressing and hammering effect will be applied at the die 4849. The operation of the valving arrangement is as follows. When the valve sleeve is in the position shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 the chamber 56 in the piston rod 51 is closed to inlet fluid and is open to exhaust while, when. the valve sleeve 17 is in the position shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 the annular passage 59 in the piston rod 51 is open to inlet fluid. Inlet fluid will therefore flow down the annular passage 59 and pass through the ports 64 into the cylinder 54 above the piston 53 in the manner shown in FIG. 7. Fluid within the cylinder below the piston 53 is exhausted into the chamber 57 and up through the central passage 58 into the chamber 56 and exhaust passage 28.

As the valve sleeves 16 and 17 are synchronously rotated through 180 with an oscilaltory movement out of phase with each other, a rapid reversal of the valve sleeve will take place whereby the flow of fluid to the annular passage 59 is cut off and the flow of pressure fluid is diverted from the header 25 through the passage 27 into the chamber 56 and thence downwards through the central passage 58 into the lower chamber 57 and through the ports 65 into the cylinder 54 below the piston 53 in the manner shown in FIG. 8. Due to the continuous pressure on the piston 52 and the rapid reversal of pressure fluid to upper and lower sides of the piston 53 the effect will be to cause the cylinder 54 to reciprocate in the guides 22 and 22a.

There will, therefore, be produced a high pressure action and a rapid hammering effect on the metal or other material being forged between the dies 48-49. Under some conditions the stroke of the piston rod 51 may be reduced to the extent that the hammering effect could be translated to a vibratory hammer effect.

In the modification shown in FIG. 9, the apparatus is similar to that shown in FIG. 5 except that in place of a unitary piston rod 51 the piston rod is in two parts, an upper part 66 and a lower part 67, with a compression spring 68 interposed between their opposing ends. Under some circumstances it may be desirable to restrain reciprocation of the cylinder 54, and concentrate reciprocation motion to the piston-rod only. This can be done by providing a pin 69 in the bracket 70 which will engage in a suitable aperture in either the guides 22b or in the frame 6.

While the operation has been described utilizing the cylinder and piston arrangements 42-43 or 42-52 to effect pressure forging combined with reciprocation of the cylinder 7 in the case of FIG. 1 or the cylinder 54 in the case of FIG. 5, it is perfectly feasible to operate these two elements separately independent of each other to provide, in one case a pressing action only on the dies 48-49, or a rapid hammering action. Also, it is possible at one stage of a forging operation to have either one or the other of these actions and at another stage to make use of the combined actions.

The use of nitrogen accumulators 33 and 34 ensures quick response of hydraulic pressure at all stages of operation to match the speed of operation of the valve sleeves 16-17.

As high pressure hydraulic fluid can be used, say 4,000 lbs. per square inch or more, it will be realized that the seals 50 throughout the installation will have to be adequate.

With the above described hydraulic hammer and press a wide range of pressing and hammering can be applied to the material to be forged, first by varying the pressure on the piston 43, secondly by varying the pressure of the fluid in the inlet header 25 and thirdly by varying the speed of reversal to the flow of fluid to the chambers 12 and 13 of the cylinder 7, and lastly by applying an infinite combination of the above variations. By this means a forging can be made using much less heat and producing a finer and more evenly aligned grain in the metal whereby the forging will have greater strength and durability.

What I claim is:

1. A hydraulic forging and pressing hammer comprising a main frame, a double acting hydraulic cylinder mounted for reciprocation in said main frame, a piston and double-ended piston rod in said cylinder, the said double ended piston rod existing above and below said cylinder, a first anvil mounted on the lower end of the said cylinder, a second anvil mounted on the lower end of said piston rod, the said anvils adapted to make contact with each other as a hammer on reciprocating movement of the said cylinder and piston rod relative to each other, a two part press die, located between the lower portion of the said main frame and the under side of said second anvil, valve means adapted to direct fluid under pressure alternately to both ends of said double acting hydraulic cylinder to produce rapid oscillation of the said cylinder and said first anvil to effect hammering of said first anvil on said second anvil, and fluid pressure means adapted to reciprocate the said double ended piston rod, said second anvil and an attached part of said two part die into pressure contact with the other part of said die mounted on the said main frame.

2. A hydraulic forging and pressing hammer as set forth in claim 1 in which the said valve means include upper and lower sleeve valves rotatable about the said cylinder out of phase with each other to alternately admit hydraulic fluid under pressure to each end of the said cylinder and to alternately exhaust the fluid from each end of the cylinder.

3. A hydraulic forging and pressing hammer as set forth in claim 2 in which the said sleeve valve means includes a common fluid inlet header and a common fluid exhaust header, the said headers adapted to reciprocate with the said double ended cylinder and valve means.

4. A hydraulic forging and pressing hammer as set forth in claim 1 in which the fluid pressure means to reciprocate the said double-ended piston rod includes a cylinder and piston device fixedly secured to said main frame and axially aligned with the said double acting cylinder, the piston of the said cylinder and piston device being secured to the upper end of the said double-ended piston rod.

5. A hydraulic forging and pressing hammer as set forth in claim 1 in which the fluid pressure means to reciprocate the said double-ended piston rod includes a cylinder and piston device fixedly secured to said main frame and axially aligned with said double acting cylinder, and a coil spring is interposed between the adjacent ends of said double acting cylinder and the cylinder of the said cylinder and piston device.

6. A hydraulic forging and pressing hammer as set forth in claim 4 in which the said cylinder and piston device includes an accumulator in which the accumulator maintains a rapid closing and sustaining pressure on the said press die.

7. A hydraulic forging and pressing hammer as set forth in claim 2 in which the said upper and lower sleeve valves include inlet and exhaust ports set at from each other, and means to rotate the said valve sleeves synchronously with each other with an oscillating movement out of phase with each other through 180 to alternately admit hydraulic fluid under pressure to each end of the said double acting cylinder and to alternately exhaust the fluid from each end of the cylinder.

8. A hydraulic and pressing hammer as set forthin claim 3 in which an accumulator is mounted on the said main frame and a pressure fluid inlet is connected to one side of the said accumulator and to the fluid inlet header, the said accumulator adapted to maintain a constant pressure in the said header and a rapid flow of fluid to the said double ended cylinder on alternate opening and closing of the said upper and lower sleeve valves.

9. A hydraulic forging and pressing hammer as set forth in claim 1 in which the said press die is in two parts, one lower part being secured to the lower portion of said main frame and the other part being secured to the under side of said second anvil.

10. A hydraulic forging and pressing hammer as set forth in claim 1 in which the said piston rod has an upper ported chamber aligned with the upper of said valve means, a lower ported chamber aligned with the lower portion of said double ended cylinder below the piston of the piston rod, an axial passage connecting the upper and lower ported chambers, an annular passage concentric with said axial passage and isolated from said upper and lower ported chambers, a series of ports at the upper end of said annular passage aligned with lower of said valve means and a series of ports at the lower end of said annular passage aligned with the upper portion of the said double-ended cylinder, the said axial passage and the said annular passage alternately permitting flow of inlet and exhaust fluid from either of said upper and lower valve means to the upper and lower portions of said doubleended cylinder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,941,428 6/1960 Riggio 72453 5 3,049,035 8/1962 Hirst 72453 3,11 1,867 11/1963 Riggio '72453 3,173,286 3/1965 Dischler 72453 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

10 G. P. CROSBY, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

1. A HYDRAULIC FORGING AND PRESSING HAMMER COMPRISING A MAIN FRAME, A DOUBLE ACTING HYDRAULIC CYLINDER MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATION IN SAID MAIN FRAME, A PISTON AND DOUBLE-ENDED PISTON ROD IN SAID CYLINDER, THE SAID DOUBLE ENDED PISTON ROD EXISTING ABOVE AND BELOW SAID CYLINDER, A FIRST ANVIL MOUNTED ON THE LOWER END OF THE SAID CYLINDER, A SECOND ANVIL MOUNTED ON THE LOWER END OF SAID PISTON ROD, THE SAID ANVILS ADAPTED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AS A HAMMER ON RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF THE SIDE CYLINDER AND PISTON ROD RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, A TWO PART PRESS DIE, LOCATED BETWEEN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE SAID MAIN FRAME AND THE UNDER SIDE OF SAID SECOND ANVIL, VALVE MEANS ADAPTED TO DIRECT FLUID UNDER PRESSURE ALTERNATELY TO BOTH ENDS OF SAID DOUBLE ACTING HYDRAULIC CYLINDER TO PRODUCE RAPID OSCILLATION OF THE SAID CYLINDER AND SAID FIRST ANVIL TO EFFECT HAMMERING OF SAID FIRST ANVIL ON SAID SECOND ANVIL, AND FLUID PRESSURE MEANS ADAPTED TO RECIPROCATE THE SAID DOUBLE ENDED PISTON ROD, SAID SECOND ANVIL AND AN ATTACHED PART OF SAID TWO PART DIE INTO PRESSURE CONTACT WITH THE OTHER PART OF SAID DIE MOUNTED ON THE SAID MAIN FRAME. 